Two juicy beef layers, sweet caramelized onions, and a double hit of melted cheese between golden, crispy bread — a proper American-style treat. Makes 2 double sandwiches.
Ingredients
500 g minced beef; 8 thick slices of sandwich bread; 8 slices of cheddar; 4 slices of Swiss cheese or mozzarella; 2 large onions; 50 g butter; 1 tbsp olive oil; salt and black pepper to taste; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional). For the special sauce (optional): 3 tbsp mayonnaise; 1 tbsp ketchup; 1 tsp mustard; 1 tbsp finely chopped pickles.
Method
Slice the onions thinly and cook them in the olive oil over medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft, golden, and sweet; set aside. Divide the beef into 4 portions and shape thin patties slightly larger than the bread; season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce if using. Cook the patties in a hot pan about 3–4 minutes per side until done, laying a cheese slice over each at the end to melt. Stir the sauce ingredients together. To build each sandwich: spread sauce inside the bread, then layer cheddar, a patty, caramelized onion, and more cheese; add a second slice of bread and repeat the layers for the double-decker effect, finishing with bread. Butter the outside and cook in a pan over medium-low heat 3–4 minutes per side, pressing gently, until the bread is golden and the cheese fully melted. Halve and serve at once with fries, a fresh salad, or pickles.
Tips
Keep the heat medium-low when toasting so the cheese melts before the bread burns; mixing cheddar with Swiss gives flavour plus creaminess; take your time with the onions — that is where much of the flavour lives.
